Sean McVay normally skews uber-positive, which made his poignant criticisms of Jared Goff after Sunday's loss to San Francisco stick out.
The L.A. Rams coach noted that he wouldn't have blasted the QB -- saying he can't turn the ball over -- if he didn't think Goff couldn't handle the criticism.Â
The signal-caller agrees.
"If he was lying I'd feel differently about it -- he's absolutely right," Goff said Wednesday, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. " I'm a big boy, I can handle it."
"We have a great relationship and I'm accountable for myself," added Goff.
The QB's three turnovers cost L.A. a chance to win. Added to the INTs and fumbles, Goff has struggled in recent weeks as a passer.
Goff has had a passer rating below 100 in each of the last four games, the longest such streak since a five-game streak in Weeks 3-7, 2019, and has 2 INTs in three of the past four tilts. The Rams QB has 10 giveaways since Week 8, most in the NFL and three more than the next closest player, despite L.A. having a Week 9 bye.
Surprisingly, Goff has struggled on play-action, which is normally his bread-and-butter.
According to Next Gen Stats, Goff has seen his efficiency on play-action passes plummet since the Rams' Week 9 bye. In Weeks 1-8, Goff had 6 pass TD, 0 INT, and a 115.7 passer rating on play-action. Since Week 10, Goff has 0 pass TD, 3 INT, and a 44.4 passer rating on play-action attempts.
The Rams' restricted offense is also not doing the team any favors, allowing defenses to play within a phonebooth. Goff has attempted passes of 10-plus air yards on just 27 percent of his attempts this season, fifth-lowest in NFL. He went 1-7, 30 yards, and an INT on passes of 10+ air yards in Week 12's loss.
"I need to be better than that, I need to take care of the football, and he's absolutely right, and I will," Goff said. "I have done that for the majority of my football career and will continue to take care of the football better."
If Goff doesn't raise his play for the final five weeks of the season, the Rams could lose their grip on a postseason spot.
